Last year, we threw a couple of bridal showers in the summer and in the fall and they turned out really great. Much to my surprise, I ended up hosting a backyard wedding open house this past weekend for a friend. I’m not super creative, but we do have lots of parties, so we joined forces with some great little shops and we were able to put together a fun soiree.

Mason jars and floating candles with a little bit of twine or raffia created great lighting for very little cost!

Having to do an evening reception, I was worried about the lighting. Our deck can get pretty dark, so we wanted to find a creative and inexpensive way to lend some light. After some Pinterest inspiration, my friend created this awesome solution. A hula hoop wrapped in ribbon and icicle lights made for a very unique chandelier. It was an amazing solution that illuminated the whole deck and created a very cool ambiance.

I love getting my napkins from Robin at PaperEvent, the greatest little shop on Etsy! She is a pleasure to work with and creates beautiful designs that add a very special touch to a necessity. She can emboss all sizes of napkins for any occasion. I loved the way these turned out and tied in our colors for the reception.

My table top fireplace made a great centerpiece and helped to add a soft light to the dessert table. Speaking of dessert, don’t you just love these personalized favor bags from Etsy shop Cotton and Grain? They were absolutely perfect to send some sweet treats home with our guests and a lovely touch! They were able to be personalized with some details of our guests of honor. I loved them! I will definitely be returning to this shop for future events!

For the tables, I loved using wooden confetti and fairy lights from Etsy shop ChurchHouseWoodWorks. The lights were bendable, six feet long, and battery operated. It was great to have them to light up tables or other surfaces above the tables to add a soft glow. The confetti was awesome, printed with things like “Forever,” “Love,” “Mr. and Mrs.,” and more. Their products are super affordable and useful for so many occasions! Definitely will be making them my go-to for future party needs! You would be amazed at all the great items you can find on their website, too! You can visit them at www.ChurchHouseWoodworks.com.

Many thanks to these wonderful Etsy retailers who are creative and offer great products to those of us (like myself) that are creatively challenged! You made the night a success!

*product was received to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own.

I’m such a fan of DIY weddings and events, it’s awesome how people are able to put together decor and everything else without the need of a planner. I love the rustic feel of this wedding, it’s really lovely.

I love DIY weddings. I don’t know why everyone needs to spend 8 million dollars and bankrupt themselves to start their lives together! I thought about doing that same lighting hula hoop for ours, but we wound up not needing it.

This turned out so beautifully! I love the things you can find on etsy. They are affordable and unique! So many great pieces that really brought the whole look together. I will have to remember this for the next shower I throw.